Melissa Harris-Perry: Hi, everybody. I'm Melissa Harris-Perry. This is The Takeaway. With the Olympics in full swing and the super bowl just days away, it's a safe bet that baseball is not top of mind for most sports fans at the moment. For the past two months, major league baseball has been in a lockout initiated by team owners after they failed to come to an agreement with the Player's Union over a new collective bargaining agreement. Here's MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, speaking about the lockout in early December.
Rob Manfred: We instituted a lockout of major league players. We took this action with the support of all 30 clubs after we failed to reach a new agreement with the players association, despite our very best efforts.
Melissa Harris-Perry: Players including Met pitcher Trevor May, have expressed skepticism that the owners and Manfred are operating with the interests of anyone other than themselves in mind.
Trevor May: He just doesn't really think about the fan as a fan. He doesn't really think about the player as people. He thinks about all of us as a dollar sign, and he wants to move the pieces in order to maximize the number of dollar signs that go to his bosses. That is just the way that it is.
Melissa Harris-Perry: With spring training scheduled to start next week, it's increasingly likely that the lockout will push back the preseason. Many baseball analysts are also predicting that the regular season will end up the delayed. Now, I have to admit, I'm not the most devoted baseball fan myself, but to learn more about the lockout, I turned to someone on my team who cares deeply about the sport.
Jackie Martin: Jackie Martin, line producer for The Takeaway.
Melissa Harris-Perry: Jackie has been watching baseball literally since she was in diapers. Here's what she told me about the first day she went to in-person.
Jackie Martin: I believe I was a few months old. I still have the ticket though. I have a baseball that I have carried around forever, and I have random Yankees and Dick Vitale sign. I keep my original ticket in there and I was a baby. I have pictures of my self in Yankee stadium from then till now, literally, almost every single year.
Melissa Harris-Perry: Now, Jackie took some time to explain to me why this lockout is such a big deal for baseball fans.
Jackie Martin: It's so disappointing to hear that they can't come to some agreement, that they won't accept mediators, that they just can't sit at the table and get it done. They've had three months, technically they haven't been locked out since the mid-'90s, so they've actually had a longer time.
For us, for fans, this means no spring training, and with no spring training, first of all, they lose money, but we lose getting to see our players in action, getting started, we know who's going to be on the field come opening day. We miss out on something truly important for baseball fans.
Melissa Harris-Perry: Clearly, you're down for baseball no matter what. It's hard for me to imagine whenever they come back, you're clearly going to be watching. Maybe if we're talking about folks like me, who aren't really on the baseball train, I'm wondering do you think moments like this, this shortened season, does that create a possibility of baseball becoming just a less important sport?
Jackie Martin: I would say, yes, because I remember I was young when the first lockout happened, but I do remember it. I recall a lot of people afterwards were disheartened and they didn't go to the games. My dad didn't watch it as much. It affected the game.
Melissa Harris-Perry: Jackie Martin, line producer for The Takeaway, if you could say one thing to either the owners or the players, or just the whole MLB, what would you, as a representative of the fans say about this?
Jackie Martin: I would say, sit down, hear each other out and come to some agreement. Obviously, be fair. I'm team player, of course, but we want baseball. I know it's easier for us to say hurry, but get it done.
Melissa Harris-Perry: Listen, if y'all ever doubted that we take different perspectives here on The Takeaway, knowing that our line producer is a Yankees fan and that our director is a Met's fan tells you everything you need to know. Jackie Martin, thanks so much for joining me on this side of the mic here on The Takeaway.
Jackie Martin: No problem.
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